Category: International Cricket

India’s Menon becomes youngest elite umpire at 36

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“Umpire Nitin Menon keeps watch as Zimbabwe’s Tinotenda Mutombodzi bowls against Sri Lanka in January 2020. ©AFP” /> New Delhi (AFP) – India’s Nitin Menon, 36, on Monday became the youngest member of the International Cricket Council’s elite umpire list. Menon gave up playing cricket when he was 22 to start umpiring and has gradually moved up the rankings, officiating in three Tests, 24 one-day internationals and 16 Twenty20 matches. “My priority was to play for the country rather than umpiring,” said Menon, who played two matches for Madhya Pradesh state…

West Indies’ Joseph hopes England treat him as ‘weaker link’

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“Not a ‘weaker link’ – West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph. ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – Alzarri Joseph hopes it will work to his advantage if England treat him as the “weaker link” of the West Indies’ pace attack during next month’s Test series. The 23-year-old is the junior member of a fast bowling line-up that also includes captain Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. “Well obviously those three guys have a lot more experience than I do,” Joseph, who has played just nine Tests, told a conference call…

Ten players left off Pakistan’s England tour over virus: cricket board

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“Teenage batsman Haider Ali failed a second coronavirus test and is one of 10 players left off Pakistan’s squad for the tour of England. ©AFP” /> Karachi (AFP) – Pakistan’s cricket team will leave for its tour of England on Sunday without 10 players who tested positive for coronavirus at least once this week, the country’s cricket board said Saturday. The board chief executive Wasim Khan said the players left behind can rejoin the squad of 18 players once they have taken two negative tests. Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Haider…

West Indies coach Simmons has no worries over Holder’ niggle’

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“Ankle problem – West Indies captain Jason Holder . ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – West Indies coach Phil Simmons had no qualms over the fitness of Jason Holder after the captain played a restricted role on the final day of his side’s first warm-up match ahead of next month’s Test series against England. Holder led one team in a drawn intra-squad three-day game against Kraigg Brathwaite’s XI at Old Trafford. But the Barbados paceman did not bowl on Thursday, although he was in the field on all three days, and…

Reifer takes five wickets from 11 balls in Windies warm-up

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“West Indies all-rounder Raymon Reifer was in the wickets on Wednesday. ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – Raymon Reifer claimed five wickets in 11 balls on the second day of the West Indies’ intra-squad match at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Reifer, whose lone Test appearance came away to New Zealand three years ago, is looking to achieve the “ultimate dream” of forcing his way into the side for next month’s three-match series against England, which starts at the Ageas Bowl on July 8. The left-armer’s haul helped give a side captained…

Connor to be first female MCC president in 233 years

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“The MCC are the owners of Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – Former England women’s captain Clare Connor is to become the first female president of Marylebone Cricket Club in its 233-year history. Current incumbent Kumar Sangakkara, the first non-British MCC president, nominated Connor via video link from his native Sri Lanka during an annual general meeting on Wednesday. Connor, now the England and Wales Cricket Board’s head of women’s cricket, is set to take up her new post on October 1, 2021, subject to the…

Vaughan says UK PM Johnson talking ‘nonsense’ on amateur cricket ban

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“British Prime Minister Boris Johnson . ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised UK Prime Minister and self-confessed “village cricketer” Boris Johnson on Tuesday over the “nonsense” of upholding the ban on the recreational game due to the coronavirus. Social tennis and golf are now allowed in England, but amateur cricketers continue to wait beyond the boundary. “We’re still working on ways to make cricket more COVID-secure, but we can’t change the guidance yet,” Johnson told Parliament on Tuesday as he announced an easing of virus…

Pakistan’s Hafeez says second coronavirus test ‘negative’

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“Mohammad Hafeez says a private test he initiated after testing positive for coronavirus showed he did not have any pathogens. ©AFP” /> Karachi (AFP) – Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez said Wednesday that a second test he commissioned himself proved he didn’t have coronavirus, a day after the country’s cricket board said he was one of seven players who had officially tested positive. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Hafeez was one of ten players and tour staff who tested positive for the virus this week ahead of the squad’s departure…

No England positives from ECB virus tests ahead of Windies series

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“Old Trafford will be the venue for the second and third Tests of the England-West Indies series due to its on-site hotel. ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – No England cricketer tested positive for the coronavirus prior to a training group assembling at the Ageas Bowl ahead of next month’s Test series against the West Indies, it was announced Wednesday. The England and Wales Cricket Board said all results came back negative from 702 tests carried out on players, support staff, match officials, ECB staff, venue staff and hotel staff from…

‘First love’ – how 1983 World Cup win triggered India’s obsession with cricket

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“Batsman Sunil Gavaskar (L) and former captain Kapil Dev were two of the heroes of India’s 1983 World Cup win. ©AFP” /> New Delhi (AFP) – “First love red an obsession with the sport in India and created its biggest market — ultimately making India’s board the richest and most powerful in the world. India was previously a hockey-loving nation, owing to their five Olympic gold medals between 1948 and 1980.But on June 25, 1983, India’s cricketers became world-beaters. Nobody saw the victory coming, after India came into the one-day tournament…